Francesca Henry
{{Short description|English actress (born 1995)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Francesca Henry
| image = Francesca Henry 2023.jpg
| caption = Henry in 2023
| birth_name = Francesca Eloise Henry
| birth_date = {{Birth month and age|1995|3}}
| birth_place = Waltham Forest, London, England
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 2018–present
| television = {{Plainlist|
}}
| education = {{Plainlist|
}}
}}
Francesca Eloise Henry (born March 1995) is an English actress. She began her career appearing in various television and stage shows including Doctors, A Discovery of Witches and Silent Witness, before being cast in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Gina Knight in 2023.
Early life and education
Francesca Eloise Henry was born in March 1995 in Waltham Forest, London, and attended Forest School, Walthamstow.{{cite web |title=Francesca Henry at Emptage Hallett Cardiff |url=https://emptagehallettcardiff.co.uk/clients/francesca-henry/ |work=Emptage Hallett Cardiff |access-date=26 May 2023}} She began studying MA Acting at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2017.
Career
Henry made her acting debut appearing as PC Alice Brody in the BBC medical soap opera Doctors.{{cite web |title=Doctors, Series 20, The Rabbit Hole |url=https://bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0c0jn9p |publisher=BBC |access-date=25 May 2023 |date=23 January 2019 |archive-date=24 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124063547/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0c0jn9p |url-status=live }} Henry made her stage debut in the play The Wolves.{{cite news |title=The Wolves at Stratford East |url=https://stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/the-wolves/438 |work=Stratford East |access-date=25 May 2023 |archive-date=8 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208095844/https://www.stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/the-wolves/438 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=The Wolves review – swaggering, tender tales of women's football |url=https://theguardian.com/stage/2018/oct/31/the-wolves-review-theatre-royal-stratford-east |work=The Guardian |access-date=26 May 2023 |date=31 October 2018 |archive-date=29 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129061357/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/oct/31/the-wolves-review-theatre-royal-stratford-east |url-status=live }} She has appeared in various other productions, with her roles including Emily Webb in Our Town,{{cite news |title=Francesca Henry to Star in Our Town, Plus Full Creative |url=https://broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Francesca-Henry-to-Star-in-OUR-TOWN-Plus-Full-Creative-20190329 |work=BroadwayWorld |access-date=25 May 2023 |date=29 March 2019 |archive-date=29 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129185545/https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Francesca-Henry-to-Star-in-OUR-TOWN-Plus-Full-Creative-20190329 |url-status=live }} Ashley in Germ Free Adolescent,{{cite magazine|title=Review: Germ Free Adolescent at the Bunker |url=https://exeuntmagazine.com/reviews/review-germ-free-adolescent-bunker/|magazine=Exeunt Magazine |access-date=26 May 2023 |date=1 November 2019}} The Letters Project,{{cite web |title=The Letters Project at The Gate Theatre |publisher=Gate Theatre |url=https://gatetheatre.co.uk/the-letters-project/ |access-date=26 May 2023 |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408142740/https://www.gatetheatre.co.uk/the-letters-project |url-status=live }} Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?{{cite web |title=Cast announced for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?|url=https://tobaccofactorytheatres.com/cast-announced-for-whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf/ |work=Tobacco Factory Theatre |access-date=26 May 2023 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202185013/https://tobaccofactorytheatres.com/cast-announced-for-whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf/ |url-status=live }} and Rosencrantz in Hamlet.{{cite news |title=Hamlet at Shakespeare's Globe – first look photos |url=https://whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/hamlet-at-shakespeares-globe-first-look-photos_55835.html/ |work=WhatsOnStage.com |access-date=25 May 2023 |date=31 January 2022 |archive-date=19 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519224600/https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/hamlet-at-shakespeares-globe-first-look-photos_55835.html |url-status=live }} In 2022, Henry appeared in the recurring role of Celine in A Discovery of Witches. She also portrayed Nix Greaves in the Amazon Prime series Chelsea Detectives and Charlie Jarrett in an episode of the twenty-first series of Silent Witness.{{cite news |title=Silent Witness series 25 episode 3 cast: Two infamous soap stars join the BBC One drama! |url=https://entertainmentdaily.co.uk/tv/silent-witness-series-25-episode-3-cast-two-infamous-soap-stars-join-the-bbc-one-drama/ |work=Entertainment Daily |access-date=26 May 2023 |date=30 May 2022}} The same year, she made her film debut in 2.0 Lucy, in which she played the role of Alyssa.{{cite news |title=2.0 Lucy at Radio Times |url=https://radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2p0sa4/20-lucy/ |work=Radio Times |access-date=26 May 2023}}
In 2023, Henry was cast in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Gina Knight. Her character is the eldest daughter in the Knight family, who were introduced as new owners of the fictional Queen Vic pub.{{cite web |title=Colin Salmon, Harriet Thorpe, Francesca Henry and Molly Rainford join EastEnders |url=https://bbc.com/mediacentre/2023/eastenders-colin-salmon-harriet-thorpe-francesca-henry-molly-rainford-knight-family |work=BBC |access-date=26 May 2023 |date=28 March 2023 |archive-date=28 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328193019/https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2023/eastenders-colin-salmon-harriet-thorpe-francesca-henry-molly-rainford-knight-family |url-status=live }} She made her on-screen debut on 1 June 2023 alongside the character's on-screen father George (Colin Salmon) and younger sister Anna (Molly Rainford). Henry described Gina as "spiky" and said that she "sees kindness in everyone and wants to be more like her sister Anna, but finds it hard to meet the world in an open-hearted way."{{cite news|url=https://digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/a44003967/eastenders-spoilers-francesca-henry-gina-knight/|title=EastEnders newcomer Francesca Henry teases "spiky" role as Gina Knight|publisher=(Hearst Communications)|work=Digital Spy|last1=Kilkelly|first=Danielle|access-date=26 May 2023}}{{cite news |title=EastEnders spoilers: Gina Knight to be "spiky" and clash with Elaine |url=https://radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/eastenders/eastenders-spoilers-gina-knight-elaine-newsupdate/ |work=Radio Times |access-date=26 May 2023 |date=25 May 2023}} In 2024, Henry appeared in the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black as Winehouse's friend, Chantelle Dusette.
Filmography
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes ! {{Abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| 2019
| Doctors | PC Alice Brady | Episode: "The Rabbit Hole" |
| 2022
| Celine | 2 episodes |
| 2022
| The Chelsea Detective | Nix Greaves | Episode: "Mrs Romano" |
| 2022
| Charlie Jarrett | Episode: "History – Part 4" |
| 2022
| 2.0 Lucy | Alyssa | Film role |
| 2023–present
| Regular role |
| 2024
| Chantelle Dusette | Film role | align="center" | {{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/back-to-black/credits/|title=Back to Black credits|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=20 February 2025}} |
Stage
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Venue ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| 2018
| #2 |
| 2019
| Our Town | Emily Webb |
| 2019
| Germ Free Adolescent | Ashley |
| 2019
| The Letters Project | {{N/A|Unknown}} |
| 2020
| Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Honey |
| 2022
| Hamlet |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Ceremony ! Category ! Work ! Result ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| 2023
| I Talk Telly Awards | Best Soap Newcomer | EastEnders | {{nom}} |
| 2023
| Rising Star | EastEnders | {{Won}} | align="center" | {{cite news |last1=Zammitt |first1=Erin |title=EastEnders sweeps the board at the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2023 |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a46114823/eastenders-digital-spy-reader-awards-2023/ |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=Digital Spy}} |
| 2024
| Best Newcomer | EastEnders | {{nom}} | align="center" | {{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/radiotimes-com-soap-awards-2024-nominations-revealed-exclusive-newsupdate/|title=RadioTimes.com Soap Awards 2024 nominations revealed|last=Daly|first=Helen|date=9 May 2024|website=Radio Times|access-date=9 May 2024}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|10422386}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Francesca}}
Category:21st-century English actresses
Category:Actors from the London Borough of Waltham Forest
Category:Actresses from London
Category:Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
Category:English film actresses
Category:English soap opera actresses
Category:English stage actresses